God is a Good Behaviorist

So in my theories of counseling class we are learning about the cognitive behaviorists. You probably know them as Skinner or Pavlov (of Pavlov's dogs). The ideas they have about humans is that our thoughts or emotions don't really matter. What matters most is the fact that we have outward behaviors that can be changed.

Well within this learning theory are the terms fixed ratio, fixed interval, variable interval and variable ratio. These put into terms the response we expect to get from a specific event. An example of  a fixed ratio is putting money in a vending machine. You put in your 75 cents and you get back a bag of chips. A fixed interval is every Friday getting a paycheck. You know it's coming and you can expect it.

So where does God come in? Our prayer, us asking God for things, is on a variable ratio. We ask for things and our prayers are not answered every time. Do you remember the last time you put money in a vending machine and it didn't give you any food in return? Most of us, what do we do? We walk away. We certainly don't try to put more money in. We know that we put our money in and we should get our chips and when that doesn't happen the system is broken. Well it goes the same for prayer. If God answered our prayers every single time we would just expect it. Then the one time it didn't happen we would immediately leave and not ask for anything from Him ever again. But because it's on a variable ratio we keep asking and keep checking back and keep praying.

My professor talked about this in class and I was amazed. Sometimes it amazes me how God so deeply knows the inner workings of our mind.

Experiment Gone Bad

So I tried my chocolate oatmeal experiment and let me say it was not successful. I cooked it according to other people's suggestions and recipes but it was really bitter. I even sweetened it with no-calorie sweetener but to no avail. Some of the recipes recommended cooking it with milk instead of water so maybe that would have helped the bitterness of it? Here's the picture of it.  I decided to put apples in with it which turned out to be the only good part of this whole experiment.

This is it cooking in the pot. It looks good- kind of like no bake cookies but let me tell you that is not what it tastes like. I'll have to do some more experimentation, but not when I'm hungry for breakfast. 

The Holidays

I heard my first Christmas song this morning. It was a total accident as I don't like to listen to Christmas music before at least a week before Thanksgiving. But it happened. It was Santa Baby the Kellie Pickler version. Not my first choice but nevertheless I think it may have gotten me a little more ready for the holidays. In just 9 days I get to fly to Atlanta on one of the busiest travel days of the year. This is then followed by a family road trip to Valdosta where we proceed to eat enough food to feed a small army. Between my brothers, my dad, my uncle and his 3 sons we can put some food away.

To personally celebrate I will be watching You've Got Mail approximately 4 times before Thanksgiving. It's got some fall in it, some Christmas and some Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks love going on. My roommate recently bought it for me cause she knows it's my favorite movie. She rocks.

For now I leave you with this quote from the movie. It sums up what I've been thinking about lately plus my love of books.

Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life - well, valuable, but small - and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void. - Kathleen Kelly when writing to NY152

Oatmeal Creativity

So I've been on an oatmeal kick lately. I have always loved oatmeal- but I usually get the instant kind (strawberries and cream to be exact). But I've since switched to regular oatmeal that you cook over the stove. It's healthy (depending on what you add to it), it's cheap and it's fairly easy. It is definitely not as quick as instant but I really love that I have control over what I eat and how I start my day.

I definitely cannot do the plain oatmeal with a little honey in it- it's not enough flavor in the morning and it reminds me that I'm eating a healthy cheap breakfast. On pinterest I recently saw a recipe for apple pie oatmeal. I don't use all the ingredients but it opened my eyes to the idea that you can have more flavor in your oatmeal. With this recipe, you put the apple and cinnamon in with the oatmeal- so by the time it's done you've got baked apples flavored with cinnamon then I add a little honey and I'm off to a healthy breakfast!

I recently saw an idea for chocolate oatmeal with cocoa powder. The recipe calls for sugar but I read that if you add zero calorie sweetener instead it adds great flavor as well.

I'm going to try this asap- getting a little chocolate fix in the morning is never a bad thing!

Monster

I just finished reading Monster  by Frank Peretti. He's a Christian author that writes thrillers. Yes, those two sound contradictory in my opinion. But I got the book as a gift so I figured I'd give it a shot.

The book was a quick, easy read but definitely kept my interest the whole time. Peretti uses his Christian influence to talk about evolution some and it's really interesting how subtly he shows his Christian influence.

It didn't scare me- which was good. I was a little worried about that, but it definitely had some thrilling moments. For this genre of Christian thriller I really enjoyed it. I probably won't buy another book by him just because it's not my type but if I was given him as a gift or could rent it from the library then I would read it. I've heard his other one, This Present Darkness is even better.

So that's my review of that one. I'm currently reading Jane Eyre which I love love love so get ready for that review shortly. I'm currently flying through it but still trying to savor it all at the same time. Readers know what I mean.

Fall Break

I did not know I would need fall break as much as I did. I got refreshed and replenished and full on relationships that matter so much to me. It's hard to maintain relationships long distance but I really care about those people in Georgia so it's worth it! I got to see Dana and my family and meet all of Dana's new friends! I also got to babysit for my favorite 6 year old in the whole world- Grace.

While I was at home my grandmother passed away. I went to the funeral Friday. I got to see lots of family, which I love doing. When my dad and his brothers and sisters are together they start telling crazy stories of stuff they did when they were younger or stuff their cousins did. Growing up in a small town in South Georgia means their stories are always funny and so unlike my childhood growing up in suburban Atlanta.

But with my grandmother passing away I realized death makes you selfish because you're left thinking about the ways you'll miss them in your life. I'm sad she won't be at my wedding, that I won't be able to call her for cooking advice and that the big farmhouse isn't something I can visit anymore and see the pictures everywhere of my family. After my grandfather died two years ago she missed him so much and I know she's done with that suffering now so for that I'm thankful. But I miss her and will continue to selfishly wish she were around just for the love and support she always showed me. I was her only granddaughter and she was so proud of me. But I know she's in a better place and fully healed so I'm thankful for that peace.

ATL Bound

Last night I bought a plane ticket so I could go home for fall break!! Get this- the cost of the ticket was the same price as gas for the trip there and back- and I don't lose almost 20 hours in the car in the next week by driving. Hooray for airplanes- plus I don't travel much so I think airports and flying are uber cool.
I'm already thinking of what book to load up to my Kindle so I can hope to look as cool as I feel.
My only plans next week are to hang out with Dana, bake, eat lunch with Grace at school and possibly go to Wesley on Wednesday.
This has the potential to be the best fall break ever. I'm just saying.